A CHARGE 


fits 


* 


TO THE CLERGY OF THE PROT, EPISC, CHURCH IN THE STATE OF OHIO, 


ON 


THE PREACHING OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED; 


DELIVERED BEFORE THE 


» 


SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION 
OF THE DIOCESE 


AT CHILLICOTHE, SEPTEMBER 5th, 1834. 


CHARLES P. McILVAINE, D. D. 


BISHOP OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH 


IN THE STATE OF OHIO, 


ACLAND PRESS, GAMBIER, OHIO: 


GEORGE W. MYERS, PR, 


1834, 


oi elena es none apaaceet ‘ 
xe igs vate! \ J 
M sia) aha arbi “ea : 
ae by ; 


AN BPISCOPAL CHARGE, &c. 


0000 me 


 BrerurRen iy THE Ministry or CuHrist: 


Ir has pleased God to allow us the pleasure of as- 
sembling ourselves together.and consulting with one another for 
the promotion of the blessed Gospel committed to our trust, I 
would embrace the opportunity, thus presented, of addressing you. 
in obedience to an enactment of our Church, which requires her 
Bishops occasionally and not unfrequently to deliver a charge to. 
the clergy of their respective Dioceses. My object will be the. 
promotion of an increase of faithfulness and of fruit in. the dis- 
charge of your work as ambassadors. for Christ; humbly beseech- 
ing Him without whom we can do. nothing in wisdom, nothing 
in holiness, nothing to edification, to give:me grace that in all 
things I may speak “asthe oracles of God,” in “the mind of 
Christ.” | 4 

You are well aware that the great work for which your sacred” 
office was established, is the preaching of the Gospel. 

However various the means and modes:by which christians of 
all orders are bound, in their respective spheres:and according to — 
their distinctive vocations, to be co-workers with God in promo- 
ting his kingdom; all are subordinate to—all depend for sufficien- 
cy upon, the faithful and enlightened execution of that last com- 
mand of the Saviour to his Ministry: “Go preach the Gospel.” 
Tt was the simple, unquestioning obedience ofan undaunted faith 
to this one command, united with unquenchable love to Christ 
and the souls of sinners, that constituted, under God, the whole 
power of the Apostolic ministry and gained those stupendous vic-. 
tories of the truth at which the weaker faith and more hesitating 
obedience of modern times have so much wondered: And none 
can read the Scriptures intelligently without.perceiving that, as 
in the beginning, so now also and until the ending of all things 
terrestrial, it hath pleased God that sinners shall:be saved chiefly 


4A, i 


through the instrumentality of the preaching of the gospel; and 
especially, that the great things to come—the ingathering of the 
nations, the universal reign of the Son of Man as the accepted 
King over all people and languages, are to be accomplished by 
means which, without excluding the use of many subordinate 
measures, will refer the grand result to the preaching of the gos- 
pel—“ the foolishness of preaching” as the chosen and chief ordi- 
nance of God, by which to make known his wisdom and power in 
saving them that believe. Hence should it be inferred that while 
-there are many objects of christian benevolence which have an 
imperious claim on the affections and assistance of christians, none 
should stand so exalted in the hearts of all that love the Lord Je- 
sus Christ in sincerity, as the increase of the number of devoted 
ministers of the gospel, and the furtherance of all, who have recei- 
ved the ministry, in that heavenly skill by which they may the 
most successfully preach the word, and that true missionary 
spirit by which they may emulate the example of the Apostles, 
till there be no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. 
Another thing you cannot have failed to notice. While such 
eminent importance is attached to the preaching of the gospel—so 
that it is written that ‘faith cometh by hearing ;” there is one 
distinguishing feature of the preaching of the Apostles, on the 
continual and prominent’exhibition of which, they rested all their 
hope of advancing the cause of their Master. Various as were 
the topics on which they spake, and skillful as they were to ac- 
commodate their instructions to the different circumstances and 
characters of their hearers; there was one great subject in which 
all hearers were taught to behold the beginning and the ending 
of religion, the whole consolation of a sinful world—the whole bu- 
siness, strength and glory of a christian minister. They made 
it their invariable principle to know nothing, to glory in nothing, 
among men, but “Jesus Christ and him crucified” so that “eve- 
ry where, in the temple and in every -house, they ceased not to 
teach and preach Jesus Christ.” To set forth the glories of his per- 
son and of his work—to teach him in his various offices and bene- 
fits, in his humiliation and death—his resurection and exaltation 
in his freeness of grace to receive and his fullness of grace to Save 
the chief of sinners; to persuade men to flee to. him as their. 


5 


: 
Refuge, to follow him as their Shepherd, to submit to him as 
their King, to rejoice in him as their everlasting portion, 
and always and by all means to glorify him as Head over all 
things for his people; this was their life’s business unto which 
chan had so separated themselves as to be virtually dead to 
whatever might hinder its promotion. Sitting at the feet of their 
inspiration, to learn by what teaching the minister of the Gospel, 
in these days, may hope to be made instrumental “in bring- 
ing many sons unto glory;” we obtain this most important 
lesson, that to preach “ Christ crucified” is to preach the Gospel ; 
that nothing can be done to any purpose for the salvation of sin- 
ners, but so far as this one subject is exhibited in simplicity; that 
while all learning and eloquence and human wisdom, without this, 
can do nothing; all that.is feeble and foolish ‘among the wise 
men of the world, ifit have but this, may be mighty through God 
to confound the wise and win souls to Christ; consequently that 
all our talents and prayers should be drawn this way and con- 
centrated upon this very thing, of learning through the enlight- 
ening of the Holy Ghost, the more simply, niall and com- 
pletely “to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” 

Dear brethren if this be a lesson for life, it is worth a thousand 
lives to know and practice it. Without it, what would it profit 
us, or the perishing souls to whom we are sent, should we under- 
stand all mysteries and all knowledge and speak with the various 
tongues of men and the eloquence of angels? Our preaching 
would be as effectual to the overturning of the kingdom of Satan 
in the hearts of men, as sounding brass and a tink cymbal— 
while we, in the balance of the secaapiante would weigh as “less 
than nothing and vanity.” 

Hence you may perceive the subject to which the remainder of 

this discourse will be devoted. What is it so to preach, that it 
may justly be said, in the sense of the Apostle, that “we preach 
Christ crucified”? 


There are many ways of approaching this excellence sie 
reaching it, and thus of one’s failing in the fruits of an evangelical 
ministry without perceiving the cause. Some of these approxi- 
mations, I will endeavor to describe. - 


6 


It is possible to preach a great deal of important truth having 
an essential relation to the gospel—truth unmingled with any er- 
roneous statement or principle. One’s discourses may be very 
solemn and impressive, kindling strong emotions and exciting 
deep apprehensions in ey eal congregations—and because the 
people are affected, it may be supposed that the preacher i is faith- 
ful.. Because the former perceive nothing positively wrong, and 
hear and feel much that is decidedly good, they not unfrequently 
regard it as unquestionable evidence of the gospel character of the 
instruction to which they listen, And yet, without any strained 
supposition, it maybe destitute of some or all of the great, distin- 
cuishing features of the gospel; or if it contain oe may almost 
entirely conceal them, under the cumbersome framework in which 
they are set; and though it speak often of Christ and pathetically 
describe. his agony and i en may beso meagre and confused, so. 
general and feeble as to all those. vital dottrines which lead to him 
and spring from him and depend on him, which lay the founda-. 
tion and hind together the whole structure of christian faith, as to: 
be wholly unworthy the name of the -preaching of Christ. Sup-. 
pose that the minister select such subjects.as the uncertainty of 
life, the trial of death, the terrors of judgment, the everlasting ret- 
ribution of the ungodly. . Let, him depict the vanity of the world 
—the excellence of religion—the bliss of heaven. Give him the 
persecution of Christ, and the various scenes in the tragedy of the 
crucifixion. Here are subjects, on which a lively and intelligent 
imagination, without any spirituality of mind or acquaintance with 
the operations of grace on the heart, may be strong and impressive; 
and yet howmanyimagine thatto preach these forcibly is to preach 
the gospel! How often is preaching about Christ, confounded 
with preaching Christ—preaching. trom the imagination, with 
preaching trom the heart! ‘The minister may thus deceive him- 
self, and the great majority of his people may be thus deceived ; 
while some obscure, unlettered disciple, whose draughts of truth 
have been taken undiluted from the wells of salvation, will be sen- 
sible of some painful deficiency; and the anxious enquirer, thirsting 
for the gospel, will listen and wait in vain to be taught what a 

must do to be saved. Let us remember the wide citer ence be- 
tween being able to preach forcibly on the importance of religion, 


‘| 


on the one hand; and on the other, to show clearly in, what all 
spiritual, saving religion consists. It is one thing to prove that 
there is no saheetiee | but in Christ; and quite tauothier to direct a 
soul panting for mercy, how he is to “ win! Christ and be found in 
him.” Onsucha'text as: ‘“ One thing is needful,” almost any in- 
telligent and serious mind might preach without mistake or man- 
ifest deficiency. _ It requires much more preparation than’ mere 
intelligence aind seriousness to preach well, with truth and clear- 
ness gia fulness, upon such ‘a text as: °* ae any man be in i 
he is a new creature” Sc. 

Again: ‘One may preach with eee vast firmness the ob- 
ligations of man—the commandments of the law—the precepts of 
the gospel—the enitire condemnation’ of the sinner and the neces- 
sity of universal repentance, He may exhibit a deep seriousness 
in his ministry—an earnest solicitude for the fruits of righteous- 
ness; never hesitating - at the strongest representations of the 
wrath of God and fhe’ sinner’s peril—nor ever sparing the most 
urgent appeals to conscience and exhortations to obedience; and 
yet he may come far short of the most important work of his min- 
istry and fail almost wholly of the conversion and sanctification of 
his people. While thus dwelling faithfully on the side of the law, 
perhaps with occasional glimpses of the gospel—while thus confin- 
ed so much to duty and danger,’ though perhaps with oceasion- 
al views of grace and glory; he may not understand that one 
great lesson which a minister should make his habitual study— — 
how to exhibit the union and mutual relations of the Law and the 
Gospel—how to preach the gospel under the solemn sanctions of 
the law—the law under ‘the gracious encouragements of the gos- 
pel; the one to convince of sin, the other to take away its con- 
demnation; the former to furnish the rule, the latter, the grace 
of holy obedience. The preacher may be very clear upon the 
sinner’s ruin, but very dark and. indefinite upon the nature and 
means of his remedy. He may succeed in convincing one of the 
insufficiency of his own righteousness to make him Scr pehiel to 
God; but fail. grievously in shewing the all-sufficiency of. the 
righteousness by faith. So fully does he teach the holy will of 
God, as reaching to the thoughts and intents of the heart, that 
the hearer is brought to feel his entire inability through inherent 


ro 


og 


corruption to do it. But at this step of preparation for all the 
gracious disclosures of the gospel, his light goes out. ‘The preach- 
er fails i importunately to direct him to be grace of God in Christ, 
as that which “worketh in’ us fo will and to do of His good pleas- 
ure.” ‘One thing is needful”—that grand argument of the gos- 
pel, which, after thesia of all others, has gained in all ages and 
places such wonderful victories over the hearts of the ungodly, 
the simple holding forth of “ Christ crucified” in his amazing 
love and abounding grace—his tenderness to pity—his freeness 
to receive—his power to save to the uttermost; the fulness of his 
merits to rerhove the condemnation, and of his spirit to sanctify 
the heart, of the chief of sinners. 

Such a preacher, as I have endeavored to describe, was in a 
great measure exemplified in the earlier ministry of the now evan- 
gelical Chalmers. His labor was fruitless. It remained so, till 
(to use his words) he got impressed by the utter alienation of his 
heart in all-its affections and. desires from God; it was uot till 
reconciliation to him, became the distinct and prominent object 
of his ministerial exertions; it was not till he took the scriptural 
way of laying the method of reconciliation before his people ; it 
was: not till the free offer of forgiveness through the blood of 
Christ was urged upon their acceptance, and the Holy Spirit giv- 
en through the channel of Christ’s Mediatorship to all who ask it, 
was set before them as the unceasing object of their dependence 
and their prayers ;/it was not, in one word, till the contemplation 
of his people was turned to these great and essential elements in 
the business of a soul providing for its interests with God and 
the concerns of its eternity, that he ever heard of those changes 
of character and life, which before he had earnestly and zealously 
sought after.* , 


Again: A minister, in addition to the features already de- 
scribed, may make a great use in almost ever y discourse of the 
name of the Redeemer and occasionally his person or office may 
be presented with some appropriate prominence, and taught with 
unexceptionable distinctness ; ‘and yet it may be only when the 
text, according to plain rhetorical propriety, demands this treat- 


* Address to the inhabitants of Kilmany. 


9 


ment that Christ is thus set forth; and the minister may not very 
frequently select such texts as would thus constrain him. Pas- 
sing from one subject to another, their succession may bring him 
in course, to something involving of necessity a concentrated at- 
tention to the Saviour, in some of the great bearings of his work ; 
and then he may be sufficiently explicit and correct; while the 
spiritually minded hearer, attending upon. the whole train of his 
preaching, will look in vain for such a graceful bending of every 
discourse towards “ the Author and Finisher of our faith;” such 
a skilful interweaving of ‘all other legitimate topics with those ear- 
dinal truths that centre in the cross, as will show at once, howey- 
er remote the subject from the centre of the gospel system, that . 
it obeys the attraction and shines in the light of Christ. There is 
no such habitual passing to and’ fro between, the ruin ‘of man by 
sin, and his remedy by the Saviour; between the covenant writ- 
ten on stone and working death, and the covenant of grace, writ- 
ten on the heart and working ‘life, as that'whatever the preacher 
teaches shall have left on it the sign of the ‘cross, and the whole 
tenor of his work shall proclaim that for him to'preach is Christ, 

Having thus endeavored to set ‘before you some of those ways 
by which one’s, ministry may approach the character of the preach- 
ing of Christ, without occupying decidedly and effectually that 
happy ground, it is time we were attending more directly to the 
enquiry with, which we set out—what is It Se) to preach that it 
may j ustly be said in regard to our. habitual ministry that °¢ we 

: ; yil'sge 9.999 . ‘ a, , 
preach Christ crucified : | oid, ; 

The gospel is a system of truth and duty; its parts all harmo- 
nious and mutually relevant and dependant. It has‘a centre, lu- 
minous, glorious, all-controling, to which all the parts around re- 
fer for the light in which they are revealed, and the harmony of 
their every bearing. You can neither illustrate this system til] 
you have shown its central power and light—nor fully describe 
its centre without exhibiting the various relations and dependen- 
cies of its surrounding system. The centre is Christ. Al] lines 
meet in him—all light and life come from him—all truth is dark 
till he is risen upon the scene. Lesser lights are only to rule the 
night. It is for the sun to rule the day. 

2 


10 


Now what is the best mode of, exhibiting this wonderful arrange. 
ment of grace, so that he who runs may read : ? Where will you 
begin? At the outskirts, of the system, taking 1 up first its remoter 
elements, and reasoning on from one relation to another till you 
get to Christ? To. do this. clearly, you must. give it the time of 
many discourses. In; some ‘circumstances and after a more direct 
method has been well employed, it may be well. But supposing 
_ a people ig jenorant in a: great measure of the first principles of the 
gospel, Hah can you keep them waiting. so long in the dark ? 
They have come: to see:the King—and_ however important may 
seem to you their tardy: “intr de every thing séems to them 
_Impertinent, till thiey have been admitted to» His presence... You 
find, your hearer’as, a benighted traveller, afraid to continue his 
way, lest there bé a pr ecipice at his: feet! dé. You may present him. 
with a chart of his road, but how will it help him. as long as he 

cannot see? © ‘He. waits the. sumr Se. One ray from the sun will 
serve him better than a thousand. maps to. be read i in the, dark. 
Then, but not till, then, will.a, chart of the country, be important. 

_ Astronomers, in teaching the doctrine’ of the solar system, be- 
gin with the sun.. They proceed’ directly to. tell what it is, and 
what, it does. This is the first thing to. be understood, Nothing 
in the.science can. be explained, till »this, is explained, | ‘Let the 
teacher of the gospel system imitate. the example.” So I perceive 
the Apostles. began. In their preaching,'I. behold no gradual, 
ceremonious; sites from a great distance, like the parallels of 
a siege, to the one object of their ministry. There was one Per- 
sonage whom it/was the immediate business of their Apostleship 
to. introduce, to sinners“. Jesus. of Nazareth, the only begotten 
son of God, full of grace and truth. There was one capital event 
in his history, which it was. their immediate business to make 
known, to every creature—dJesis crucified as a propitiation for the 
sin, of the whole world, 'To these; their ministry immediately 
leaped. Here they always broke ground. first and set up their 
tower of attack. Just. at. the point, where their enemies, in ma- 
lignant triumph, supposed. the gospel had died, with the cross of 
its entombed, founder. for its only memorial, his disciples, in the 
triumph of faith, and lifting up. that cross for a banner, made 
their beginning. Just that which laid the stumbling block to the 


oF 


Jew and seemed such foolishness ‘to the Greek, they adopted as 
the head and front of their preaching ; ; advancing boldly ” upon 
both’ Jew and Gr eck, like David with his single stone against the 
contemptuous giant, of ( Gath ; glorying i in. nothing, determined to 
use nothing, “save Jesus Christ and him crucified. ” Thus saith 
St. Paul: “I delivered unto you first of all that which also I re- 
ceived, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scrip- 
tures.” As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, did they 
at once lift up Christ on the on Oss, aS an, ensign to the people. 
They could not. spare time to be reoting out resco and grad- 
ually preparing the minds “of the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles 
for the great subject of Christ’ s atonement. «They knew no way 
of removing darkness: ‘80: sure as that of introducing the sun; no 
way of ibdaing the enmity of the heart to the youre so short’ as 
that of making men acquainted with the’ very essence of the @Os- 
pel. s Hifasat device would have said. to St. Boake '¢ Make use of 
your , (philosophy for an. introduction to your theology—call. sci- 
ence to your aid—shew the stoi ei of ‘things—impress your audi- 
ence with a respectful idea of your. attainments j in the wisdom of 
the schools aim, at the nerve of Demosthenes—put on. the golden 
robes of Gicero—speak « of, your ‘Mastér. in his manhood,. in his 
miracles, benevolence and piety ; ; compare his precepts with those 
of heathen sages; but. cast a veil” over his s ignominious death, and 
the humiliating plan of salvation through ‘faith j in his suffering, till 
the public. mind ‘shall ‘be ‘somewhat inured to ‘the less offensive 
features of his religion.’ “No,” said St, Paul, “lest the cross of 
Christ ‘should be made of none effect.” There. was a ‘declaration 


of the Master which an Apostle ¢ could not misunderstand ; Lily he 


be lifted up, will draw. all men unto me.” In this they read the 
secret of their success,’ Lifted” up on the cross by his enemies, 


he had been already. ° Lifted up in the'sight ofall people, he was oar 


now to be by the ministry of the word. Their principle was, 
“ God giveth the incréase,” and “hath chosen the foolish things of 
the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the ‘world 
to confound the things that. are’mighty,” * that no flesh—(that 
neither preacher nor + should glory in his presence,” but 
that all may feel that it is * Christ Jesus who, of God, is made un- 


12 


to thei wisdom and rib hhecnsav and sanctification and redemp- 
tion.” ' 

Here then, my brethren, have we our lesson. Our first, as 
well as last and habitual duty, every where, amidst all prejudices, 
ignorance and enmity, is to take ground, with all confidence, at 
the centre of the system, and at once set up the cross. We must 
exalt Christ in his death—establish its propitiatory character ; 
publish its sufficiency for the whole world... Thus will you begin 
‘ your message where’a sinner begins his hopes and life. To open 
your negotiation any ; where. else, is but to delay it.. But having 
begun here, what remains ? The sun is risen; 'now see that it 
remains unclouded, always in full view from the remotest circle of 
your hearers, so that the weakest and. lowest eye may see. » Now 
you must keep up attention to this supreme obj ect, by telling your 
people all that the scriptures tell ' you of Christ. Your business 
is that they may “know Christ and be found in him.” ~Conse- 
quently there is nothing revealed as pertaining to him that is not 
profitable to them, or ‘that you have a right to keep back. You 
are to make him known i in the glory wifich he had with the Father 
before the world was. ~The _love of the Father i in ‘sending | His 
only begotten Son ; and of the Son incoming to be made a ourse 
for us, can be preached. only. in view of the Shen’ in the self-exist- 
ence and infinite glory of the Godhead. _ You.cannot separate 
the cross for which he came, from the throne whence he came, 
without divesting his death of 1 its atoning virtue and. his love of 
all its wonders. . In the same vital connexion is. the Incarnation 
of the Son of God. ‘The mysteries of Bethlehem are closely alli- 
ed to those of Calvary. To, understand how he bore our sor- 
rows, we must learn how he took our. nature. -You.cannot teach 
his obedience unto the death, without his condescension to be 
_ born in the likeness of man. In setting, forth the Lamb of God, 
in his death as a sacrifice, you must also set’ him forth in his life 
as an example “without blemish and without spot.”—There is 
too little preaching of “the mind that was in Christ Jesus.” 
It was his preparation for the sacrifice. It must be ours for all 
the bliss which that, sacrifice has purchased, But the preaching 
of Christ too often terminates with the events of his crucifixion ; 
as if when the sacrifice was finished, the whole work of redemp- 


13 


tion were finished—as. if to preach him in his resurrection, and 
ascension and exaltation, were not as important as to preach him 
in his humiliation and agony. »'To show the sinner that his atone- 
ment is accepted, you must show’ that it has been presented at 
the mercy-seat} you must exhibit our great High Priest as hav- 
ing laid aside the garments of ‘sacrifice for those of dignity and 
glory, and, ascended into the Natick place on highs *“now to ap- 
pear in the presence of God for us.” Intercession must be preach- 
ed as the crowning act in redemption. © But intimately connect- 
ed with this office Sf Christ as our interceding Priest, bearing our 
names upon his breastplate, is that of the great Prophet of his 
Church, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- — 
edge,” and of whom every disciple must. learn “the way, the 

truth and the life.” Essential also to the right enforcement of 
his priestly and prophetic office, is the exhibition of Christ, “ex- 
alted to be a Prince” as well as Saviour, having “all power in 
heaven and earth,” claiming supreme dominion in the hearts of 
his people—able to subdue all enemies under his feet, and make 
all things work together for good: ‘to them ‘that love him. It is 
Christ reigning. as King—“ Head over all things to his church, it 
that sets the seal to all. ‘that is precious in his teaching as our 
_ Prophet, and all that is availing i in his mediation as our Priest.— 
that clothes our message Pith authority, as well as with mercy 
and wisdom; ‘and makes the tender entreaties of divine compas- 
sion, the peremptory commands of infinite'sovereignty.. For no 
purpose is a heavenly skill in’ the preacher more needed than to 
exhibit the tenderness of Christ.as enforced by his authority, and 
his authority as commended by his tenderness—to preach. him as 


a Judge and also as an Advocate—to declare not only the love Mins 
but the “wrath of the Lamb”: 'to exhibit his infinite freeness, ful- — 


ness, and power to save the chief of sinners, and yet the rigid ex- 
clusiveness of his salvation to him “that believeth”; so as always 
“to speak ‘a word in season to him that is weary,” and never a 
word of encouragement to him that persists in his sins. The 
cross, like the pillar. of cloud, is all light to the people of God— 
all darkness to such as neglect so great salvation. 
By these imperfect hints, I have endéavored to illustrate what 
I understand by preaching Christ in his person and office, as the 
-effulgent centre of Christianity. 


14 


From what has. been so’ defectively exhibited, it appears that 
as in ‘the sun t ere is an axis, around. which the whole orb of 
light revolves; ; so in the preaching of, Christ there is a centre, in 
which all his attributes and offices and works as the’ Saviour of 
sinners unite, and which, in;whatever aspect we behold Ae must 
always be in view—his death: « § ¥y) oh He 

But, in Christ J esus, there are’ many otal Winn ane 
a with him by. various relations. and dependencies, and occupy- 
ing; as it were, the remoter circle:of the christian system, which a 
preacher cannot: keep ‘out of sight without great unfaithfulness. 
Be it remembered that. while te cross, with its immediate neigh= 
borhood, is the metropolis. of Christianity, « the city of our God; 
all the region round about is the Holy Land Apwing with milk and 

honey, “a land of brooks and fountains of water,” intersected 1 in 

all. directions ‘with high ways to the -holy ,place, by which the 
tribes goup. Iti is. the office of the preacher to map ‘out. that 
land; to display’ its treasures—to trace: those converging roads, so 
that whenever a sinner may desire to know how he may get to Zi- 
"on, his eye may read— This is the way; walkiye Bad tb, Then 
only i is Christ preached in the fulness of ‘the gospel; when nothing 
is left, untaught that enters into the - plan’ of salvation as a cove- 
nant of mercy and life, established’ between God’ and ai sonst in 
the hand of an infinitely meritorious Mediator. tai 

Some, under the idea of glorying only in the: cross, ‘etn 
their preaching almost exclusively to a few topics more immedi- 
ately connected with the death. of Christ— ‘such ‘as, atonement, 
faith, and justifying righteousness, to the gr eat neglect. of nu- 
merous derivative or introductor ry truths of absolute necessity to 
_ ajust: exposition. of the Gospel. ’ But the spiritual wisdom of a 
‘minister is to be exercised in giving to: ‘every part of the gospel 
plan its portion in due season, assigning to all subjects their pla- 
ces according to their rank in importance, and cerns each in 
its relations to the othersand to Christ: . . 

Do we speak of Christ as the sinner’s righteousness unto com- 
plete justification through faith? (and. continually. should we 
present him in this blessed aspect;) then must we show the sinner 
his absolute need of such: righteousness. ‘To do’ this, we must 
awaken his conscience. He must be so convinced of sin as to feel 


15 


that he is condemned and Jost without that refuge. Blessed is 
he whom God has taught to teach this lesson. Our text book is 
the law. By it is the knowledge of sin. Preached in a spiritual 
application to the thoughts ibid intents of the heart, not only as 

a rule of life to all, but as the condition of salvation to every one 
who does not accept the salvation of Christ, on the perfect keep= 
ing of which depends all his hope, ‘and the tremendous | curse of 
whieh is incurred ‘by a single transgression—preached i in view of 
the cross as establishing, instead: of i impairing its obligation ; as 
confirming, instead of diminishing” the certainty of its’ penalty, 
upon every soul of man that doeth evil without repentance ; it is 
made the instrument of the Holy Ghost to convince men of'sin— 
to strip off their self- tighiteousnéss, and as a‘ schoolmaster, to 
lead them, ‘to Christ. » He that, would preach justification by 
faith in’ Christ, must also preach entire condemnation by: works 
under the law; he must’ lay his foundation’ in clear, unequivocal 
statements of the divine law, in all thé uncompromising strictness 
of its demands: taking special care to show that it looks'with as 
little favor’ as when first promulgated, upon imperfect, though 
sincere obedience; that every, the least transgression, incurs the 
condemnation of God, ‘asmuch under the dispensation of Christ, 
as under that which preceded's : consequently, ‘that whosoever is 
not. justified by f faith, being shut up under this law, is condemn 
ed already.” Thus to pranclt the law-is the direct method of pre- 
paring the way of the Lord..' More consciences would be awa- 
kened; more hearts would know the ‘need and'the preciousness 
of Christ, were there: more directness and clearness in thus pres- 
sing upon those who are , still under the law, as as a condition of life, 
its unmitigated strictness, and therefore their own present and en- 
tire ‘condemnation. From ‘this, t6 i, ag and faith, the. way 
_is plain. pi A a 3 

¥ Again: : Dowe preach Christ, as “of God, made ‘utito us sane- 
tification?” we must not. expect hat our hearers will appreciate 
this excellency of the knowledge of Christ, till we have taken 
pains to exhibit that condition of entire depravity by nature 
which makes them so absolutely dependent on his sanctifying> 
evace. Hence, in our preaching, a large department should be 
assigned to the setting forth of that original state of spiritual ruin 


16 


and death—that enmity against God, and natural inclination to 
evil, which “is the corruption of every man that naturally is en- 
gendered of the offspring of Adam,” and under which he is not 
ant carinot be in subjection to the divine commands. ‘This leads 
directly to the absolute necessity: ofa new birth unto righteous- 
Ness, and makes the subject of spiritual regeneration, its eviden- 

“ces and fruits, of ‘conspicuous magnitude in the preaching of 
Christ. And this again introduces ‘the sinner, now sensible of his 
disease and helplessness and necessity, ‘to'the only Physician. 
Then comes in the agency of the Holy Ghost. -Christ.is not 
preached in faithfulness, unless the Holy Ghost, «« who proceed- 
eth from the Father and the Son,” is distinctly and continually 
preached as of the same divine nature'with both; alike to be hun- 
ored and worshipped; sent of ‘Christ to be the teacher, the sanc- 
tifier, and the comforter, of sinners; the author and preserver of. 
all spiritual life’; by whom alone we are born again, and daily re- 
newed in the’ spirit of our minds—the spirit of all prayer, wis- 
dom. and:holiness ; ‘without whom we are as little able to will as 
to.do, of God’s good pleasure: To be full of the Holy Ghost in 
one’s sermons as well as soul—to. keep up’ the attention of ‘the 
sinner as continually. to his. influences,’ for all the beginnings of 
spiritual life, and all gr owth in grace, as to the righteousness of 
Christ for all reconciliation to, God, isnot only the way to be 
blessed with increase ‘in our work, but to preach Christ as he 
preached Himself y-..a tet 4 ; | 

In the preaching of Christ, there is a text which a minister 
should, in some’shape or other, be always illustrating :—“ By 
grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is 
the gift of God. Not of works, . lest any man should boast.’ 
Let it be his continual effort to magnify the grace of God in all 
the work of salvation. He cannot exceed the truth in that which 
has no bounds. But there is another text of equal emphasis, 
which St. Paul connects with the other, as we should always con- 
nect them in our ministry. “Created in Christ: Jesus unto good 
works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in 
them.” Works of righteousness are no less earnestly to be preach- 
ed as essential fruits of a saving faith, than to be renounced as hay- 
ing any part in our justifieshiog with God. We are to make the 


\7 


office of faith so prominent, that without it there can be no union 
to Christ; and, the necessity of works ) absolute, that without 
them there is no evidence of faith; and at the same time, both faith 
and works are to be represented as deriving all their efficacy, value 
and, existence, from Christ their source th end. 

We are bound to speak freely of the believer’s “privileges i in 
Christ, that we may increase;his joy; but to insist also with equal 
stress upon his obligation to live unto Chri ‘ist, that we, may increase 
his devotedness. ,“‘ All are your's, and 4 ye are Christ's,” is the 
text in this matter—obligation, incr eased by privilege. So must 
we preach the precepts af Christ, as to lead men to the embra- 
cing of his promises; and so proclaim, his promises that instead 
of the neglect, we may,encourage mento the, obedience of his 
precepts. In all this, we have. two great arguments for persua- 
sion,—;‘‘ the mercies and the., terrors of the seen -both as de- 
riving thes greatest force fromthe cross of Christ, “While we 
invite and entreat by all the considerations arising out of the love 
of God in the gift of his Son, and the love of. the Son in the sac- 
rifice of himsaih and, the boundless mercies thus presented for al} 
that will sactifice themselves to Christ; we are not to keep in the. 
back ground, nor touch lightly, and. ‘timidly upon those more of- 
ie because more alarming truths, which shew the dr eadful 
peril of those who reject the Saviour. | On the contrary, it belongs 
inseparably. to the pr eaching of Christ, to warn the impenitent 
of the wrath of God, not only fearlessly but “Frequently, with 
tenderness indeed, but also with the utmost solemnity; not spar- 
ing the strongest. representations of the misery of the lost as de- 
picted i in the scriptures, nor shrinking from the plainest and most 
direct application to the minds of ch as obey not the gospel. of 
Christ. Never does eternal retr ibution appear so awful as when 
contemplated i in view of Christ crucified and Christ neglected. 
But in this, as in all other methods of our ministry, let there be 
a manifest. preference of the more winning arguments, so that 
grace may reign in our discourses as it reigns in the gospel com- 
mitted to us. If we warn the impenitent and show the cloud of 
retribution that overshadows them, let us tell them always of “a 
voice out of the midst of the cloud” inviting them to Christ. If 
we lead pemyte the contemplation of an offended God, seated 


18 

ona throne of justice’and judgment,” Jet us not cease till they 
have seen that, for the encouragement of every returning sinner, 
there is a ° rainbow about the throne.” Let us study to exhibit 
in due proportion ‘‘ the goodness and severity of God,” the for- - 
mer so as not to prevent the remembrance that “God is a con- 
suming fire”—the latter so as to keep always in view the precious 
truth that “God is Love.” ‘The just balance of judgment and 
mercy, invitation and warning, privileges and requirements, un- 
der the general duty of teaching and preaching Jesus Christ, is 
not to be determined by rules; but learned by prayer to Him 

who gives the word in season. | ‘ii 
Bélore leaving this allimportent subject, it is well to give a 
brief attention to: the enquiry, to what extent we are bound to in- 
troduce the way of salvation through Christ into every discourse. 
Some would answer that no sermon is truly evangelical, unless it 
contain a plain exhibition of what a sinner must do to be saved. 
But were it our duty so to order our ministry that, in every ser- 
mon, the way of salvation should be introduced; not by force, 
but naturally, and by legitimate connexion‘with the main subject; 
-not merely in a few sentences, too general to be: understood by 
the ignorant, and too common-place to arr est the attention of any, 
but in a manner adapted to enlighten the mind and: affect the 
heart; then the preacher would be always confined to one neigh- 
porhood of subjects, and numerous ‘subordinate ones that are 
‘profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in 
righteousness,” must be almost excluded or receive at best, a very 
limited, occasional and unsatisfactory consideration. | Such is not 
the lesson obtained from the scriptures. Christ is continually ex- 
hibited in the Old ‘Testament annals. . They contain the history 
of his Church as waiting and looking for his appearmg. Christ 
is preached in the holt, system of the Mosaic institutions, which 
were but a shadow of the good things to be found in him. ‘The 
tabernacle, with its ark and mercy-seat; its altars and furniture; 
its offerings and daily service—the priesthood, the pillar of cloud, 
the manna, the rock and the cities of :. lem spake of Christ. 
**'To him give all the prophets witness.” “The testimony of Je- 
‘sus is the spirit of Prophecy.” ‘How entirely every page of the 
New Testament is pervaded with the same, I need not say. But 


aay 


19 


we do not see, in the New ‘Testament or in the Old, such a con- 
finement to the vicinity of the cross, that no distinct subject is re- 


inquished, till it has led to some distinct exhibition of the way of 


salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Every thing has a bearing 
that way, but does not fall directly into that line. Its course is 
bent, like the orbit of a planet, by the attraction of that centre; 
so that though it may never be turned directly, it is always incli- 
ned towards the latter, and rendering continual homage to its su- 
premacy. ‘The inspired writers with’one common centre, occupi- 
ed a range of great extent and variety, while at every point they 
could receive light from the cross, and say, “Behold the Lamb‘ of 
God.” 

I would say, therefore, that, as novsubject can Be ‘considered le- 
gitimate in the pulpit that does not contain an important bearing 
upon Christ, as to some part of his vital connexion with sinners; 
so no sermon can be justly considered. evangelical, that does not 
faithfully exhibit and enforce such bearing, so as to assign to the 
Lord Jesus that position, in reference to the whole discourse, which 
heholds in respect to the whole body of truth and faith of which 
he is the vital head. Some subjects have a much nearer and more 
direct relation to Christ than others. ‘These, and especially such 
as contain prominently his death, an evangelical preacher will 
choose as very decidedly the favorite and then most frequent occu- 
pants of his pulpit... Others however, because more distant, are 
not unimportant, and should not be overlooked. “ The body” of 
divine truth “is not one member but many ;” and no preacher 
may say even to its feeblest extremity, “I have no need of thee.” 
That which tests the evangelical character of a subject is the ques- 
tion: Does it bear witness to Christ? That which tests the 
evangelical character of a sermon is the question: Whether the 
testimony of Jesus, according to the truth as it is in Jesus, be tts 
spirit and tendency? ‘That which measures the evangelical char- 
acter of one’s habitual ministry, is the more general question: 
Whether such testimony in spirit, as well as truth, in “ the mind of 
Christ,” as wellas according to “ the oracles of God,” istts per- 
vading, omnipr esent characteristic. 

Thus it is evident that, in a course. of faithful preaching, one 
may have great variety. His ministry may be always shining in 


Py 


20 


the light of Christ; while receiving it, sometimes directly from 
himself—sometimes by reflection from a whole firmament of sec- 
ondary , objects, all declaring his glory as their “all and in all.” 
It may be always leading the sinner to behold the Lamb of God} 
and yet in aspects and aging as various as the innumerable posi- 
tions from which his view is taken, and the diversified circumstan- 
ces in which one can neéd the consolations of religion. More va- 
riety than this can only be obtained by a departure from duty 
and faithfulness; and should be as’ little oe to a minister 
as it Is profitable to his hearers. 3 

I am sensible, my Brethren, that in the view we have now ta- 
ken, while we have far exceeded the time usually allotted to a 
pulpit discourse, (to excuse which we ‘must plead the unusual na- 
. ture of this address, with the great importance of its theme 3) we 
have done but little, nevertheless, towards an adequate treatment 
of the various topics involved under the general eer of ae 
preaching of Christ. | 

How much does a minister preach, either in aa of, or against 
_ the gospel, by his whole: spirit and life. How important there- 
fore, in connexion with what has been spoken, isa clear and faith- 
ful exhibition of the spirit of love, and’zeal, and holiness, with 
which a preacher should in his example accompany gospel doc- 
trine, and the influence it will give to all’the service of his lips. 

But I must hasten to the conclusion, by exhorting ‘you to the 
cultivation of that one christian grace in your ministry, by which 
the Apostle’s labors were so eminently distinguished—I mean the 
grace of faith. ‘They preached not only as men who believed, 
and therefore spake, the message committed to’ them; but as 
using an argument which, however powerless in itself, was the cho- _ 
sen one of God, by which it is His will to declare his power and 
grace in the salvation of souls. Thus they felt that in using this, 
they had “the arm of the Lord.” No spiritual death—no con- 
flict “with principalities and powers,” disheartened their zeal. 
Because their great argument was foolishness to the wise, they 
were not the less confident in its efficacy as the wisdom of God. 
With this, they aimed at, and confidently expected, great results. 
God gave the increase. Necotding to their faith and not their 
strength, was their success. It was their faith, in the diligent use 


21 


of God’s own weapon, that overcame the world. When our 
ministry shall be more like theirs in the grace of faith, it will ¢ ap- 
proach more nearly to theirs in the blessing of increase. 

Let us strive, my Brethren, after a great increase of faith in 
the preaching of Christ crucified. Let us make no division of 
confidence between this divine ordinance and others of human 
“art and man’s device.” T'here be some who seem to hope for but 
little effect from the plain, faithful preaching of the cross, except in 
proportion as it is mixed up with certain artificial expedients of ar- 
resting attention and exciting emotion. ‘There is an appetite for 
excitement and novelty in the mode of awakening and converting 
sinners, which seems to-be rapidly increasing in some quarters 
of the Church of Christ, as well in an insatiate thirst for 
more potent stimulants, as in the number’ of its subjects. It 
is lamentably discarding the simplicity of the Gospel, and sub- 
stituting a kind of preaching, which, with a special pretence of 
faithfulness and much redundancy and painful irreverence in the 
use of divine names, is sadly wanting in divine things and spirit; 
laying almost exclusive stress upon a few disjointed, members of 
gospel truth, and producing most deformed examples of gospel ef- 
ficacy. There is something too tame and sober in the old paths 
of inspired preachers, for the taste of some in these days. To 
teach as well as preach—to go the round of christian truth, in- 
stead of being confined to one or two of its more striking parts, 
has become the “strange work” of many. ‘To excite the sensi- 
bilities by swollen representations, rather than to enlighten the 
conscience by sober and practical exposition of scripture ; to 
produce effect by drawing lines of visible separation among the 
people, by bringing the incipient. anxieties of the heart into ‘dah 
gerous and unbecoming publicity, and by the hurrying forward 
of those whose minds are yet unsettled and unexamined, to an 
open profession of religion and perhaps a forward lead in devo- 
tional exercises, has become the mournful characteristic of much 
of the ministry that is called evangelical. It may boast many 
converts; but time will show that it boasts “the lame,’the halt, 
and the blind.” It is but another road, though a very short one, 
to all formality, coldness and spiritual death. There is such a 
thing as a zealous formality—a stimulated coldness—an excited 


22 


corpse. Be such reliances, as I have described, far from you, my 

Brethren! Be jealous of any measure that would divide your 

faith in the efficacy of the simple preaching of Christ crucified, 

accompanied ‘with all prayer and supplication in the spirit.” 

Seek your power, directly, entirely, in the influences of the Holy 
Ghost to awaken, convince, convert and sanctify the sinner. Be- 

hold your means in whatever will contribute to the teaching and 

preaching of Jesus Christ. Use such means with importunate 

waiting upon God for his blessing, and your ministry “shall be 

like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his 

fruit in his season; whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever it 
doeth shall prosper.” While continually laboring under the prac-_ 
tical conviction that God only “ giveth the increase ;” endeavor so 

to believe in his promises, as to feel the animating assurance, that 
God will give increase to the diligent application of that, which he 
has chosen for his chief instrument in the conversion of sinners. 
Have faithin God! Preach as believing not only in the unspeak- 
able importance of the truth you deliver, bnt also in the power and 
faithfulness of your Master to make it mighty to the casting down 
of whatever opposes the gospel in the hearts of your people. ‘There 
is power in faith toremove mountains! One of the first steps to- 
wards the promotion of your greater usefulness, is the prayer of 
the Apostle: “Lord increase our faith.” May the Lord in 
his great love wherewith he loveth us, be pleased to pour out up- 
on you a spirit of grace and supplication, that, your faith being 
strengthened and your zeal quickened to all diligence and faith- 
fulness, many may be added unto the Lord under your ministry, 
and * adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” 


